The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-07-03
MINOR MENTION.


THE bicycle, tricycle. and velocipede have come
to stay. AS means Of rapid transit in cities
they meet and fill a real want, not to speak of
their uses for purposes of recreation, etc. Reyo-
lutions do not go backwards and these machines
will not revolve that way. Their increasing use
compels recognition, and may require legislation
to fix their status, rights the roads, etc. In
New York city ordinance has been passed
providing that all such machines must carry
lights after dark This is good as far as it goes,
and is fair measure OF protection for pedes-
TRANS. Something should be done if possible to
regulate another annoying, not to say dangerous,
feature OF the business. That is the practice
bicyclers have of rushing up behind aud dashine
past q pedestrian at high speed and within few
inches of him. The noiselessness with which
the machines move makes it impossible to hear
their approach. and the first warning the pedes-
trian has is the machine itself rushing past and
almost over him. The sensation is one of
danger and is, to say the least, decidedly annoy
ing Possibly person mounted on bicycle
feels superior to one who is walking-he GER
tainly can look down on the pedestrian-but this
superiority must rot be asserted at the expense
of the rights of others. Pedestrians have the
right of way under all circumstance. and BIZ
cyclers must not be permitted to make the nse
with q man on it, going at high rate of speed,
has great MON entum, and the results of col
lsion would be serious. A bell attachment
might be devised that would ring constantly and
give notice of their approach. Indeed, 1t is
doubtful if they should be permitted to use the
sidewalks at all.
THE school board of Atlanta has decided to
employ none but colored teachers in the public
schools attended by negro children. The change
from white teachers was regarded a very i'm
portant innovation, and was only brought about
after much discussion. A petition from coiored
citizens requested that their children might be
taught by members of their rae. and.
though this, of itself, had some weight, the
gument that finally carried the day was that a
compliance with the request would further the
separation Of whites and blacks. The petition
is regarded as evidence that the colored peo-
pie themselves desire separation complete
as possible. Some years ago petitions of a SIM
liar character in Indianapolis resulted in the
placing OF the colored schools in charge of col
ored teachers, but in that case the motive which
animated the petitioners was desire that the edu-
Gated young men and women of their race should
be given employment and belief that they were
better qualified by natural sympathy and
acquaintance with race peculieritiee to impart
instruction to their own people. No question of
separation" involved and probably none
was thought Of by the Atlanta colored people.
Up here in the North that question is that
takes of itself 1t is only in the South where,
alone, tits claimed, the black man is understood
and appreciated, that formal effort is made to
cut him of from association with the whites.
So important is this school movement considered
in Atlanta that attention is called to the fact
that Senator Joseph Z. Brown, in his capacity as
president of the board, cast the deciding vote.
1t may be added for the encouragement of the
Georeians that the plan which they have adopted
has worked we'll in this city and to the satisfac-
ton of all concerned.
Mr. MAURICE THOMPSON holds decidedly
different opinion Of the works of Tolstei. che
Russian novelist, from that entertained by Mr.
Howells. The latter, it win be remembered,
pronounces Tolstoi ''incomparably the greatest
writer OF fiction who ever lived" In a recent
issue of the Independent Mr.. Thompson sharply
attacks the critics for the favorable words they
have bestowed upon certain novels by this Rus
sian writer. In the course of his remarks he
says
"It is nasty to associate with nasty people, it
is nasty to write nasty books, and it is nasty
favorabiy to criticise nasty books. 1 will not
dodge here. Come with me and we will 90 right
into the face OF the question. If IL is right to
associate with vile people in books, in order to
the evil that vile people do and the punish
ment they suffer, then it Is right to associate
with vile people In dives aud orothes in order to
observe the same facts. If not why not2 The
so-caled grand passion of the besotted criminal,
or Of the deuded wretch who has chosen shame,
is just grand in real life il is in fiction.
Why not study it at first handf Why not photo
graph it, and frame il, and hang it in our halls
and lbrarIes2 The young woman the young
man who wishes to read as badly realistic and
quite capitslly dirty story ever Tolstoi, or
Dostoievsky, OF lola wrote, may find it down the
street in the forbidden and isolated house yon-
der Why not go there, instead of going to the
third shelf Of the library? 1t cannot be doubted
that personal contact gives a better understand
ing than any description"
MI. Thompson's opinion ia certainly entitled
to as much weight as that of Mr.. Howells, and
the principles hs enunciates certainly
rect. whether his view of the particular books in
question is not. Such is the peculiar
weakness of human azure. however, that it is
to be feared his denunciation will secure more
readers for these novels than will all the
cncomiums heaped upon them by Howells and
others.
AMONG the educational institutions of Indiana
there is none that gives better promise of future
usefulness and becoming an honor to the State
than Rose Polytechnic Institute at Terre Hsute.
This need not be regarded as an invidious COM
parson by other and older institutions whose
work is well known and their place in the edu-